Valverde - who finished third in 2015 behind Quintana - has already stressed his focus is on the Olympic Games in Rio later this year, but the Spaniard is determined to help his team-mate go all the way in France.

Movistar's team is completed by Imanol Erviti, Gorka Izagirre, Winner Anacona, Dani Moreno, Nelson Oliveira, Ion Izagirre and Jesus Herrada, but there is no place for Alex Dowsett.

Erviti impressed during the 2016 Classics, while Ion Izagirre has been one of Movistar's stand-out riders with his performance at the Tour de Suisse and a a fifth-place finish at Paris-Nice.